The Dream of a Common Movement

Reviews / Votes

"Simply put, Urvashi Vaid was America's most talented and articulate exponent of LGBTQ rights and liberation during the most consequential period for that movement in our nation's history. We all live today in a world Urvashi shaped profoundly-she ought to be a household name. This collection of her writings is much needed, timely, and beautifully done." - Rachel Maddow

"In this final, moving book by Urvashi Vaid, we find the history of a movement for radical justice, equality, and freedom embodied in the life of one of the most persistent, influential, and brilliant activists and leaders. Vaid tells her own story by documenting the formation of her politics and her youthful but prescient feminism and defense of lesbian and gay rights. The Dream of a Common Movement demonstrates how Vaid remained open to learning more, to collaborating more effectively across a range of issues. We feel her life and her thought, but also the enormous power to change that she surely was." - Judith Butler

"Thanks to this treasure trove of Urvashi Vaid's writings and speeches, the transformative power of her voice will continue to resonate within and far beyond the LGBTQ movements to which she dedicated her life and will encourage the radical convergences-her dream of a common movement-that hold the promise of a truly democratic future." - Angela Y. Davis

"Vaid's writings demonstrate a deepening nuance of and passion for social and racial justice in building a common movement over time. She was never reluctant to call out the gay rights movement, or the LGBT community in general, for its racism. . . . For this reader, the visit with Vaid was all too brief, a flirtation that had me longing for more. Perhaps that was the point, because as soon as I finished reading Dream I grabbed the 400 page Virtual Equality from off my bookshelves." - Marcie Bianco (The Advocate)

"Urvashi Vaid was one of the most perceptive and effective queer activists in the U.S. before her untimely death from breast cancer in 2022 at the age of 63. Perhaps more than any other figure, she combined, at different stages of her life, the hard, grinding work of grass-roots organizing with working behind the scenes within 'the Establishment.'. . . A new collection of some of her most important writings has now been carefully curated and edited by Jyotsna Vaid and Amy Hoffman under the title The Dream of a Common Movement. Included is some previously unpublished material, so the book is well worth reading even for those already familiar with her work." - H N Hirsch (Gay and Lesbian Review)